Tacos al carbon

If you were in Houston in the 1980’s, it was hard to escape the ubiquitous tacos al carbon. Ninfa Laurenzo—of the eponymous Ninfa’s—made them her signature dish and as with her green sauce, many Houston Mexican restaurants soon added these tacos to their menus as well. Tacos al carbon became a defining characteristic of Houston Tex-Mex

But what exactly are tacos al carbon?

The term al carbon is the Spanish phrase for cooking over coal, so you should expect grilled meats inside a tortilla. If you have tacos al carbon in Mexico, you will indeed find a variety of meats wrapped in either corn or flour tortillas depending on where you are geographically. But in Texas tacos al carbon came to mean one thing: cuts of grilled beef, nestled in a fluffy flour tortilla.

But wait, isn’t that a fajita? Now this is where it gets confusing. So what’s the difference between fajitas and tacos al carbon? As I understand it, very little. Fajitas, which translates to little belts, are traditionally made with the tough diaphragm cut of beef known as skirt steak, which is a long and narrow, much like a belt.

The meat is often marinated and then grilled or griddled, and it’s served with a prescribed array of condiments such as guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and a stack of flour tortillas, all used to roll your own tacos. And yes, you can make fajitas, the dish, out of shrimp or chicken, but since the word itself refers to the cut of beef, technically it should be called something else.

Tacos al carbon, however, can be made with any type of meat, not just the traditional skirt steak. And unlike fajitas, the tacos are already made instead of being a do-it-yourself affair. I think this is the main difference, but even for me it’s a bit of a semantic stretch.

Small differences aside, I still prefer tacos al carbon to fajitas. Sure, fajitas are a quite the spectacle, but sometimes you crave a more refined presentation. (Or perhaps I prefer tacos al carbon because I burned myself on the sizzling fajita skillet one too many times!) But no matter how you serve it, it’s hard to resist a fresh flour tortilla wrapped around succulent beef so flavorful you can eat the two together unadorned.

I live in a small apartment without any outdoor space so there’s no cooking over coal for me. But if I get my cast-iron skillet hot enough and then slide my steak under the broiler, I get a nice charred crust that’s almost as good as what I could get on a grill. So yes, technically these aren’t true tacos al carbon (they’re more like tacos a la plancha, which means tacos of the griddle). But I don’t mind because after one bite I’m back in that little restaurant on Navigation where the beef is juicy, the tortillas are soft and the green sauce is plentiful.

Instructions

To make the marinade, in a blender mix the limes, garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Pour over the skirt steak and let it marinate for 2 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Before cooking, rinse off the marinade and let the steak come to room temperature. Heat on high for 10 minutes a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan (you may have to cut the steak in half to fit). Also, turn on the broiler in your oven. When the skillet is hot (to test I throw in a drop of water and it should immediately evaporate), grease your pan with the oil and add the steak. Cook on one side for 2 minutes then turn and cook on the other side for 2 minutes.

After it’s cooked on both sides, place the green onions in the skillet with the steak still in it and place the skillet under the broiler for 2 minutes. Remove steak from pan and let it rest for 10 minutes. If onions aren’t charred enough, slide the skillet back under the broiler. After meat has rested, slice the meat against the grain and roll in fluffy, flour tortillas with green onions on the side.

Recipe Notes

I don’t have a grill or outdoor space, so I don’t know as much as I’d like to about the subject, but to cook the steaks truly al carbon, I’ve been told 5 minutes per side should do the trick.

Tacos al carbon…. grilled skirt steak… Ninfa's…. lunchtime. Oh you have made my stomach growl. I have fond memories of many trips to Ninfa's in Baton Rouge after an LSU football game. My daughter, after visiting my mother in Houston, came home to tell me about this great Mexican restaurant. Surprise. Ninfa's! This just got a star in my reader. Thanks for sharing.

I am going back to Houston in a few weeks and now I will HAVE to smuggle back a gallon or so of Ninfa's green sauce. It was never my all-time favorite restaurant, but that green sauce? Still the sauce of my dreams!!!!And congrats on the nod! This is definitely one of MY favorite food blogs.

Yeah..The original Ninfa's on Navigation is the only place to go. It was sad to see some of them close when the son's got a tad carried away with growth such as El Tiempo . She was such a lovely person and handled all of the strife with grace and dignity.

Isn't it interesting how many people have already mentioned the original Ninfa's on Navigation? I remember it, chiefly, for its absolutely lethal margaritas . . . but I am definitely going to go there in April and try their tacos al carbon.

In the meantime, I'm going to try and talk to an English butcher about skirt steak (I wonder what they call it?) and try out your grill/griddle pan method.

Heartiest congratulations on the food blog nomination. I will vote for you with pleasure.

Congrats on the nomination. You are to be commended. Your blog inspires people to cook and discover new dishes. I read a ton of food blogs, but hardly any inspire me to replicate any recipes. You're the exception.

Oh man, ohmanohman. Tacos al Carbon are so good. I never realized they were the same thing, technically, as fajitas, but that might explain something. I love tacos al carbon, but I hate fajitas because I hate the smoke from the plate, and how it scents everything; my clothes, my hair, my skin. So maybe my love for tacos al carbon is how I get my fajita in a non-scent offending way!

Oh my gracious…I am dying for lunch at Ninfa's now, but I am in California! The Mexican food here is good, but it is not MY Mexican food. And tacos a la Ninfa are my favorite.

One of my Houstonian friends always trashes Ninfa's, even the Navigation location, and I can't understand why. When she took me to her two favorite TexMex joints, I thought they were way subspectacular. Taste is a funny thing.

I have pork tacos planned for tonight's dinner, but I'll be thinking wistfully of this recipe no matter how well they turn out.

Bee–Thank you! As for the tacos, they're now called Tacos a la Ninfa, but it's the same thing. And that's a good question–it's the diaphragm so that might help guide your butcher if it's not called skirt steak.

Tommy-Aw, thank you! Readers like you keep me going!

Robin–Agreed, taste is a funny thing. Enjoy your pork tacos!

Ann–I like that line of thought! As I said, tacos al carbon are a more refined fajita.

Debbie–Thank you!

Ed–Thank you!

Liz–I'm pretty open to anything grilled and placed in a tortilla! And yes, the more cilantro the better!

Lisa, I am in New Braunfels, Texas and we are getting ready to go to Seguin for a mexican dinner. I will order tacos al carbon. The weather is fabulous it got up to 68 today. I do not miss the East Coast winter.

i, too, prefer tacos al carbon to fajitas. i have never understood the appeal of odor of burning paper and the smoke thereof in one's eyes when trying to eat. plus, it takes up too much room on the table. your tacos look scrumptious!

Oh, wail, Ninfa's! My parents' first house in Houston was near one of the first branches, and going there in the 80s was a special treat. When I moved away, I could never understand all this fajitas fuss — they seemed so gunked up and inauthentic after the purity of a true Ninfa's al carbon! Memories…

Ninfa's, especially the original one on Navigation, is my "must go" whenever I get to Houston. It's really a trip back in time! My very favorite thing there is those little spicy carrot slices that used to be served to everyone but now one has to ask for them. If you love 'em, too, please see if you can come up with a recipe for them.

BTW, I voted for your page, and I am glad to have lived in TEXAS for all those years to enjoy the unique cuisine! Sure do miss it over here on the east coast!

I was so excited when I discovered you were nominated! Woohoo! And as for these tacos al carbon, yum. It's about to be spring, and I'm so ready for fajitas, tacos al carbon, anything with that grill/charred flavor, alongside some fresh salsas and guacamole…yum.

Oh my goodness, how I miss Ninfa's. 12 years of living in Alabama and I still haven't found a decent Mexican restaurant. I'll be home to Houston for a visit in August though and Ninfa's is always on the list of restaurants to hit while I'm there.

HI Lisa Homesick Texas (from another Lisa, homesick rtExan living in Brooklyn the past 10 or so years)Heading down to Houston in March but now I'm drooling on Madison Ave. Haven't been to Ninfa's on Navigation since middle school at Lanier (go purple pups!) BUT did have crazy dleicious green sauce last night in Hell's Kitchen! What a surprise. Running late to a show and ducked into a place with a small sign that said "burritos and tacos" 56th? and Ninth or Tenth Ave. I am going to HAVE to recreate my steps and re-discover that tiny taco bar-cleaner and fancier than a FresCo Tortilla but similar set up. AWESOME TOMATILLO SAUCE not too sweet!

Lisa, thank you so much for clarifying the whole fajita vs. tacos al carbon issue. The word fajita, as you stated is in fact in reference to a cut of beef. But, in the U.S. we have grown accustomed to calling every type of grilled meat, stuffed into a flour tortilla, a fajita when in fact they are simply tacos. So, I appreciate your clarification.I am not sure why, but I associate tacos al carbon with beef, as well. Can tacos al carbon also refer to other types of meat? Thank you for the time you spend on your blog. I truly appreciate not only your recipes, which by the way are always spectacular, but also because of the food history and lessons you share alongside the featured dish. I always know when a recipe is a success when my native, Mexican-born husband approves. He has approved many of recipes, by the way. 🙂Keep up the good work…I look forward to trying your version of tacos al carbon! We are slated for nice weather here in Chicago this weekend, so maybe I’ll fire up the grill and give it a whirl. I have yet to try your queso fresco recipe…maybe this is the perfect time to push through my cheese making fears and give that one a go, too. It would be great on these tacos, I am sure.¡Muchísimas gracias! Keep up the good work!!

I read your post at work yesterday and went straight to the grocery store the minute I was off. We had these for dinner and they were a complete success. I will be adding these to my weeknight dinner line up for the foreseeable future. I also whipped up your guacamole. Thank for the terrific recipes and good luck over at Saveur.com.

I'm already preferring tacos al carbon over fajitas and I've never had it. Thanks for this recipe, will be giving it a try soon. I saw a few days ago about your Saveur nomination and have already voted for you! Very cool! Well deserved nomination. Love your blog.

i never understand the difference between tacos al carbon and fajitas. someone made fajitas with grilled chicken at an iron chef party last week, but they looked like tacos to me! either way, you're look super yum, and i'd eat them no matter what they were called!

I think it was sad the Ninfa's sold out. But El Tiempo on Richmond is one of her new restaurants. The green sauce is there, along with many other favorites. I highly recommend going there. From what I understand she isn't associated with any of those "Ninfa's" restaurants anymore. Mama Ninfa, was asked to stop dining and hanging out at El Tiempo because the folks that bought her out, told her they bought her image as well.

I stop by to review your recipe for Ninfas green sauce, and find this post! Oh, how I loved tacos al carbon. I grew up in Houston, and still remember having my first tacos al carbon on Navigation around 1975. When a branch opened in Memorial a couple of miles from our house, it became a default location for family dinners out. For years, I went back to Navigation whenever I was in Houston, but since the Laurenzos sold, it's not the same.

Thanks again for another great post. I must ask a question now that you've brought up Ninfa's.

I went to college in Houston but am now living without Tex Mex in NYC. The thing I miss the most though is the red salsa at El Tiempo on Richmond. It is the one with almost a tomato sauce-like flavor to it. I know El Tiempo is run by the Lorenzo's, who I believe used to run the original Ninfa's.

I've only been to the Ninfa's on Navigation once, so I don't remember if these are the same salsas or not. BUT, I was hoping you've had that amazing El Tiempo red salsa before, and had some idea as to how to recreate it.

I've always preferred flank steak for my tacos al carbon. Marinated and grilled hot and fast, sliced on the bias, and topped with your favs. I grew up about a mile and a half from the original Ninfa's on Navigation and ate there for years before leaving the Houston area. Unlike many others I went south, not north, so I don't have the problems getting certain ingredients and/or cravings for the dishes I've always loved. For those of you doing the apartment/fire code thing, look into the George Foreman Outdoor electric grill. With a little practice/trial/error, you can really grill some decent meats.

Thanks so much for clearing this up! Tex-Mex is very familiar since I live in Austin. But sometimes having so many dishes that are varied approaches to combining meats and tortillas makes it confusing to keep all the names straight. Chalupas and sopes are just one example of two very similar, but also entirely separate, foods. Then just when you think you've got it all straight, menus list "chicken fajitas"!

Yum, yum….who DOESN'T love Ninfas…I have the recipe for both marindes from Ninfa (green sauce too) but it's always more fun to GO there. I just discovered a van that picks downtown Houston workers up in front of the Chase Building and takes them back and for to lunch for free. They bring a menu for you to study AND they call ahead and reserve a table for you in the busiest of downtown lunch times. GREAT DEAL!

this recipe fixed my fear of grilling inside. it also fixed my taco craving. these tacos tasted amazing and were easy to make. yummy!! i live in toronto and they have no good mexican here so i have been forced to learn to cook it. your blog has the greatest recipes. thanks for sharing!

As someone who is accident prone in the kitchen, I can sympathize with the tacos al carbon preference vs. fajitas. And thanks for translating the recipe for those of us who similarly lack the ability to cook over coal. =)

I've lived in Texas twice, and most recently for nearly 6 years, splitting my time between DFW and Austin. I'm in Austin now. But I've never made it to Houston. My husband and I have been thinking about a trip to check it out. Thanks for mentioning Ninfa's and this dish!

Looks like there are a lot of "Ninfa-maniacs" on this blog! I've been to Ninfas in Houston, Austin and Dallas; they did have great tacos and fajitas. I remember one night in Houston the line was way out the door so someone in our group went up to the front and told them we were in the Bush party. Bush as in president. We had heard that Ninfa's was 41's favorite. We had to come clean and confessed we weren't really with the Bushes. But it was worth the wait anyway. Love your blog.

I live for the tacos al carbon at Guadalajara in Houston. They are always the highlight of my trips to my husband's hometown. I have tried to replicate them at home with help from my sister-in-law's creamy cilantro sauce, which supposedly came from the folks at the Guad. Gonna have to give this recipe a try. There is nothing as good as perfectly cooked, succulent beef wrapped in a tortilla with a little yum-yum to set it off.

Congrats on the nomination, I'll definately send a vote! This along with Ninfas green sauce will be heaven on a plate. I love your blog so much! This week we had the cheese enchiladas with chili gravy and they were restaurant good! I'm doing a a blog about Homesick Texan on the 19th, next Friday on GrannyMountain to sing your praises!

I commented on your tortilla post… but I will elaborate more on this recipe I made..

Ohhh yummm, these were so good! I don't know what they call skirt steak over here in UAE–they do not use the same terms as in the US so I just got some New York strips instead. The marinade smelled so delicious 🙂

It only marinated for 2 hours but the flavors definitely permeatedthe meat.

And you are right, I could eat just the fresh tortillas and beef by itself!

The only thing is I could not make the green sauce because I have never seen tomatillos sold here so I just served it with a regular ol' salsa and sour cream. Everyone loved it!

I was just dreaming about Ninfa's and the good old days of the warm tortillas, perfect green sauce, getting full before the food even showed up. Oh, my. If there are any other Houstonians in Manhattan who'd like to stage a 1970's-style Ninfa's party — let me know!

I've been wanting to try these for awhile, well, tonight was the night! Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh, the Tacos al Carbon were fantastic! I have tried making "fajitas" numerous times and was disappointed each time. Nevermore, will that happen now that I have this recipe in my cooking arsenal. I made it tonight for my husband and I, and can hardly wait to make it for the next family gathering. Thanks for all the great recipes and your wonderful blog!

Hi, Lisa and all! I've lived in Dallas my whole life and haven't been to Houston in years. I went to the old Ninfa's when it was briefly in Dallas, but only once or twice. My husband and I have always loved a restaurant here called Mario and Alberto's which has been around almost as long as Ninfa's, and their family goes back a century or something in the restaurant business here. My husband always orders Tacos al Carbon there, and it was my understanding that the difference was that Tacos al Carbon was made with a whole steak like a rib-eye or a New York strip, and cooked on a charcoal grill then cut by the diner, while fajitas were made with marinated skirt steak or really thin flank steak cooked on the flat-top and sliced in the kitchen and brought to the table on a one-person cast-iron griddle with grilled peppers, onions, and other meats like chicken or shrimp as a "combo" plate. A lot of Mexican restaurants in Dallas serve fajitas for two, with all the go-alongs shared by both people. I rarely go out for Tex-Mex anymore since I cook it so often at home. I recently got a George Foreman 288 inch indoor/outdoor grill, and it's literally standing in the middle of my kitchen (permanently, I'm sure)! It is fantastic, gets really hot (500) on high, and is the closest thing I have found to grilling indoors when I don't feel like messing with charcoal outside. Last night I made colorful grilled baby bell peppers stuffed with ground turkey, soft chorizo, and sharp cheddar, a sort of Mexican risotto (arborio rice) with veal shanks and a packet of Picadillo seasoning I got on Amazon and cooked in the pressure cooker-20 minutes (yum!), pan-fried albondigas from the extra turkey/chorizo mix (with extra spices and fresh cilantro) and simmered green tomatillo sauce (I just spiced up a bottle of "green taco sauce" I had in my cupboard), and a pot of tortilla soup with lots of veggies including roasted fresh cob-corn and fried strips of corn tortillas. We just polished off the leftovers a few minutes ago. I mean, it wasn't like "hand-crafted" gourmet Mex, it was just dinner, but it was really tasty and easy to throw together!-Jilkat25

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